Baillie (Dem)and Bowen (Rep) carry council vote

MADISON In the four-way race Tuesday for two seats on the
Madison Borough Council, two candidates won election, but there
were no losers.

That was the message heard from all four candidates and their
supporters Tuesday night as Madison voted Democrat Astri Baillie
and Republican Donald Bowen to the council in a rancor-free
election.

"What's most important is that Madison won this election,"
Democratic candidate James Ralston told supporters at the Madison
Community House.

"Don Bowen will be a great councilperson; I know Don well," said
Ralston, who finished just 17 votes behind Bowen with absentee
ballots counted. "And Astri will be a great councilperson. And for
a change, Madison won and that's great for the
community."

Baillie, of East Lane, was the top vote-getter in the council
race, receiving 2, 899 votes at the polls and 160 absentee ballots
for a total of 3,059. Bowen, of Glenwild Road, received 2,241 votes
at the polls and 117 absentees for a total o f 2,358 to win the
second council seat.

Ralston, of Ferndale Road, was right behind with 2,220 votes at
the polls and 12 1 absentees for a total of 2,341. Republican Marie
Moore of Fox Chase Road received 1,822 votes at the polls and 107
absentees for a total of 1,929.

All four were first-time candidates in a race without
incumbents. Councilmen Peter Flemming Sr. and Ellwood "Woody"
Kerkeslager, both Republicans, did not seek election to second
terms.

The polls closed at 8 p.m., and at about 9:25 p.m. Moore made a
concession call from the North Star Club to Baillie.

"My congratulations to you," said Moore, a former chairwoman of
the Madison Republican Committee. "I hope you do a good job and
I'll be there making sure you do," she kidded the
Democrat.

Bowen then got on the phone to Baillie and Ralston. He told them
he agreed with them that "land use issues" will be "right on top"
of the council's agenda. "No one can deny that's the number-one
issue," Bowen said.

Bowen and Ralston are both members of Madison Matters, a
citizens' group concerned with land use issues, and Baillie is a
former chairwoman of the borough Board of Adjustment.

After the call, Moore said this council race was a good one for
the candidates and for the community. "Everybody's been wonderful,"
she said. "It's been a very positive experience. My congratulations
to Don and I'll make sure the others tow the line."

Bowen said he felt "great appreciation" to voters "for the trust
they put in me. Congratulations to Astri and the Democrats for a
well-fought campaign. I look forward now to working with the mayor,
and old and new council members, on the important work ahead of
us."

Bowen added "my gratitude to Marie," saying he and his
running-mate "enjoyed a great bond in this campaign. The one
disappointment is that she won't be there working for
Madison."

Said Baillie on election night, "I want to say 'Thank you' to
the people who voted for me, and I want to thank everyone involved
in the two campaigns in that we all ran a campaign with dignity,
respect and civility. And I think my success is because people
realized the issues in Madison aren't Democratic issues and t hey
aren't Republican issues they're Madison issues," Baillie said.
"What I hope this election shows is that there are a number of
people committed to Madison and continuing the good qualities
Madison has to offer. I hope people will step forward with me, and
help the council face the difficult issues, like the Exxon-Mobile
issue," a reference to the prospective development of more than two
million square feet of office and hotel space on the former Exxon
tract off Park A venue in Florham Park, on Madison's
border.

On a personal note, Baillie praised her campaign manager. "I
can't thank Nancy Bruce enough," Baillie said. "Her dedication, her
enthusiasm and her steadfast ness were so admirable, and it just
made everything come together. She's truly a great
friend."

Democrats who gathered at the Community House on election night
said their strong ticket and results this year showed the
Democratic Party is back in Madison. Running alone in a race
against two Republicans one year ago, George Hayman became the
first Democrat elected to the Madison council since 1988.

State, County Elections

The other exciting contest in Madison on Tuesday was the race
between Democrat James McGreevey and Republican Bret Schundler for
New Jersey governor. It was McGreevey by a nose in Madison, as the
governor-elect gained 2,384 votes in the borough to Schundler's
2,370. Independent gubernatorial candidate William Schluter polled
26 votes in Madison.

In State Legislative District 21, the race for state Senate was
between Republic an Richard Bagger of Westfield, and Democrat Ellen
Steinberg of Chatham Township. Madison backed Bagger with 2,521
votes, to Steinberg's 1,972.

The election for District 21's two seats in the state Assembly
was a contest among Republicans Thomas Kean Jr. of Westfield and
Eric Munoz of Summit, and Democrats Thomas C. Jardim of Westfield
and J. Brooke Hern of New Providence. Madison went for the
Republicans, giving 2,930 votes to Kean, the son of former governor
and Drew University President Thomas Kean, and 2,469 votes to
Munoz. Jardim polled 1,724 and Hern, 1,688 in Madison.

Three seats on the Morris County Board of Freeholders were up
for election Tuesday, and the race was among Republican incumbents
Douglas Cabana, Jack Schrier and John Inglesino, and Democratic
challengers Daniel Grant, Gary F. Colucci and Kathleen O'Neill
Margiotta. Madison stuck with the incumbents, granting 2,404 votes
to Cabana, 2,372 to Schrier, and 2,356 to Inglesino. Margiotta
polled 1,947, Colucci, 1,847, and Grant, 1,799 in the
borough.

Morris County Sheriff Edward Rochford, a Republican, was
unopposed for re-election Tuesday for a fourth three-year term.
Madison gave him 3,172 votes of confidence.

A Morris County question on the ballot asked voters to authorize
the freeholders to raise the county open space tax rate from its
current 3 cents per $100 of property value, to a maximum of 5
cents. For a home valued at $100,000, the county open space tax
bill would rise from $30 annually, to a maximum of $50. Madison
favored the increase, 2,419 "yes" to 1,092 "no."

A total of 4,943 of Madison's 10,084 registered voters went to
the polls Tuesday, a turnout of 49 percent.

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Online Poll

In recent weeks, Long Hill Township and Watchung Borough passed ordinances allowing their police departments to be able to apply for surplus equipment from the Department of Defense. Long Hill recently procured a Humvee to use in times of flooding, which Watchung states as the reason they are getting into the program. However, in cities around the country, police forces have used the program to obtain military gear, such as weapons and armor.
For more background, go to the link below
http://www.newjerseyhills.com/echoes-sentinel/news/watchung-police-department-hopes-to-receive-equipment-from-department-of/article_12ad002a-92b3-5449-a2cc-4b2cf0ce4339.html